Ver. 10, 11, 12. Thou stoodest before the Lord thy God— See on ch. Deuteronomy 1:9. Unto the midst of heaven, ver. 11 is, in the Heb. in the heart of heaven, i.e. in the air. So Tyre is said to be in the heart of the sea, Ezekiel 28:2 and Jesus Christ in the heart of the earth, Matthew 12:40. Two things are expressed in the 12th verse; the first, that God, who could have manifested himself under a human form, or any other sensible representation, in giving the law, chose not to do so. The second, that he pronounced the words of this law, in a manner distinct, articulate, and intelligible to the whole assembly; whence the Israelites might naturally draw these two consequences; first, that God would be extremely offended, if they presumed to represent him under any visible form, as the heathens represented their false gods; and, secondly, that they could have no reason to run after idols, under the pretext of receiving verbal answers and oracles from them, since the eternal, though invisible, had given them his commandments in a living voice, and as intelligibly as it was possible. Nothing could be more worthy of the wisdom of God than these precautions. The reader will find some judicious remarks upon the subject in Abernethy's Sermons, serm. 4:
Related Commentaries of Deuteronomy 4:10
Deuteronomy 4:10-12
10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midsta of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
12 And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; onlyb ye heard a voice.